How to Format a Turabian/Chicago Style Title Page | Example

Turabian style, a version of Chicago style designed specifically for writing research papers, theses, and dissertations, provides detailed guidelines for formatting a title page.

A title page is not mandatory; if you haven’t been told to include one, you can just center your title at the top of the first page.

These are the key guidelines for creating a title page in Turabian style:

• Title and subtitle appear ⅓ of the way down the page.
• Other information (e.g. your name, the date, class information) appears ⅔ down the page.
• All text is center-aligned and double-spaced.
• No page number is included on the title page.

Note that any specific guidelines given to you by your instructor or faculty overrule the guidelines presented here.

Chicago title page example

Below is an example of a typical title page following Turabian guidelines:

General formatting of the title page

The title page is the very first page of your text, appearing before the table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract, etc.

All text on your title page should be presented in the same font you use for the main text, center-aligned and double-spaced. The title page does not feature a page number, but it is included in the page count – that means that the following page should be page 2.

Placement and format of the title

The title appears roughly ⅓ of the way down the page (it’s not important to be precise) in bold. It can also be written in a larger font size than the rest of the text, though this is optional.

Use headline capitalization, which means capitalizing all important words:

• Summary of results
• Summary of Results

If you have a subtitle, the main title should be followed by a colon, and the subtitle should appear on the next line. It should also appear in headline capitalization, in bold, and in the same font size as the main title.

Placement and format of other information

Roughly ⅔ of the way down the page, add any other information your instructor or faculty requires you to include. This information should not be in bold, and should be in the same font size as your main text. Each new piece of information appears on a new line.

This might include your name, student number, the course name and number, and/or your instructor’s name, among other things. There’s no standard list of information to include, but you’ll usually be told clearly by your university what needs to be here.

Frequently asked questions about Chicago format

What is Turabian style?

Turabian style is a version of Chicago style designed specifically for students and researchers. It follows most Chicago conventions, but also adds extra guidelines for formatting research papers, theses and dissertations.

More information can be found in A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, now in its ninth edition.

What font should I use in a Chicago style paper?

Chicago format doesn’t require you to use any specific font, as long as you choose something readable. A good standard choice is 12 pt Times New Roman.